India has unveiled a number of new measures to spur people-to-people contacts with Pakistan ahead of a trip to Islamabad by India's foreign minister.

Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters India has decided to amend a 1982 accord with Pakistan to further liberalize consular and visa services. The amendment would be signed during Foreign Minister Natwar Singh's four-day visit to Islamabad to review the progress made so far in the 21-month-old peace process.

On the eve the visit, Mr. Mukherjee also said India and Pakistan have agreed to withdraw their troops from the Siachen glacier, but more talks are needed on how to implement the accord. The more than 6,000-meter high glacier in the Kashmir region is known as the highest battlefield, where more soldiers have died of cold than in combat.